The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-01-08
FIVE POINTS SCHOOL.
ORIGINALLY THE PUPILS WE'RE RAG
GED AND DIRTY STREET ARABS.

RudImentary Training in the Infant
Class Room-CookinG and Sewing
Taught-The School In Caiisthenic Ex-
| ercises-Ths Noon Hour.
The Five Points mission school reopened
the other day for another years work. 1t
numbers over 400 children, nearly all under
10 years of age, 1t occupies the building
known as ,he Old Bowery, 81 Park street, at
the Five p, nts, The school is one of the al.
mirable Won IS Of the Ladies Home Mission.
airy society of the Protestant Episcopal
churches of New York and Brooklyn.
| This year large per cent of the children
| are Italians and many of the Others are Polish
Jews. They come from the most destitute
families and would have no training what
ever, but would be allowed to run the streets
the entire time, If it were not for this school ;
for their parents are not able TO clothe them
sufficiently To send them TO n public school
But the mission school clothes them free Of
| charge, and more than that, it gives them
every day IA substantial dinner in the bar
gain.
Originally they were the ragged and dirty
! elfs that make the Bowery, Mulberry, Baxter
and the adjacent streets hidcous with their
|
decayel food they found on the street and in
the cutters or could hunt out Of the garbage
barrels. They were only half clothed, and
many of them never had on more than short
calico slip at one time They never saw any
thing of earth or sky save what view their
! own street afforded, and As TO natures beau
| tics Of field and mountain that was n creation
entirely beyond the pale of their imaginative
! powers.
Many of them We're born in the streets
where they lived, and of parents who them
| selves were born in the same region. And
thus handicapped with a mind inherently at
tuned to their surroundings, the prospect of u
useful or happy life for these children was
exceptionally dark.
TIE INFANT CLASS ROOM.
They come at $50 o'clock in the morning
and gather in the main school room for the
opening exercises. They are then dismissed
to the class rooms of the respective grades,
where the rest of the day is spent.
Perhaps one of the most interesting rooms
! is the infant class room. Here the little ores
are ranged on benches, tier above tier like al
amphitheatre, and below them is the piano,
desk and black boards Here takes place all
important rudimcntary training under their
most accomplished teachers.
The older children are taught in other rooms
fitted carefully with the best modern appli-
anccs for thorough instruction. The common
| English branches are taught and few classes
| in industrial work have been organized. A
| cooking class was instituted last winter for
Thursday nights and was attended by about
twenty of the older pupils. The children were
first told how to cook, then set to doing it, and
! then to their unboundcd satisfaction We're
| allowed to eat what they had cooked.
A sewing school has been in operation
among the scholars and was attended by 1913
pupils. both boys and girls. They learned
the plain stitches first, then to hem and
gather, and then proceeded to buttonholes
This fall those who have progressed far
enough will be taught cutting and fitting.
Reward of merit cards are given for
punctuality, neatness and improvement, and
! when u certain number of cards have been
awarded the child can purchase the garment
with them These tic"ets are Us good LEGAL
tender as the Five Points children care for,
and to their needs are quite IT. useful IL gold
| pieces.
They meet in one of the large class rooms
TO sew, and are taught ia small groups by
benevolent young ladies, who devote thei'
services two hours each week To this lau,
able endeavor. Last year many appiican.
to the sewing school were refused b"caJse If
the lack of teachers. The classes were MI
large, too many in fact, for one teacher to
satisfactorily instruct. II is to I've hoped that
more young ladies will offer themselves this
year, that every one who desires it may re-
ceivc thorough instruction in this important
industry.
| CAIrSTHENIC EXERCISES.
Perhaps the prettiest sight to the spectator